The upturn in light truck prices occurred despite a decline in U.S. retail sales of North American production. U.S. retail sales totaled 7.377 million units in 2006, compared with 8.065 million units in 2005, a drop of 8.5 percent. By contrast, U.S. retail sales of light trucks produced outside North America jumped 10.8 percent, to 1.347 million units sold.

For the passenger car segment, much the same occurred: U.S. retail sales of North American production declined 0.8 percent in 2006, to 5.436 million units, and U.S. retail sales of passenger cars produced outside North America increased 7.2 percent, to 2.345 million units.